Eddy gives us what we need...

[kp83]

Contested possessions, strong tackling, forward pressure and both offensive and defensive spread. If you watch his games this year, in particular against Port and the Hawks you'll see he does some really important things that Ross wants. And I'm sure he's in because while he does all of the above things well, our higher draft picks don't.

By the way, this isn't so much an anti Luke Ball or David Armitage thread, more a pro Eddy one, but I'm sure some won't see it this way.

[midas_touch]

Eddy lacks skill and presence though. Would rather have had Bally in the lineup than Eddy, no disrespect to him of course.

[SaintWodonga]

Both Ball and Geary played much better last week.

[Bernard Shakey]

Both Ball and Geary played much better last week.

So you were at both games last week?

[SaintWodonga]

Both Ball and Geary played much better last week.

So you were at both games last week?

I watched both games. But all 3 mentioned played in the same game.

[kp83]

Both Ball and Geary played much better last week.

I disagree. Geary did play a great game but I didn't see Ball's game as being much better, considering they had a similar number of disposals and Eddy had a lot of contested possesions among his.

This is really the whole point, we are all hoping for Bally to play well so whenever he gets a touch we remember it, but if Eddy gets a touch no one notices.

[Bernard Shakey]

Armitage was also mentioned in the OP, and you reckon (in another post) that Ball had 40 possessions last week.

What game were you watching?

[Teflon]

Contested possessions, strong tackling, forward pressure and both offensive and defensive spread. If you watch his games this year, in particular against Port and the Hawks you'll see he does some really important things that Ross wants. And I'm sure he's in because while he does all of the above things well, our higher draft picks don't.

By the way, this isn't so much an anti Luke Ball or David Armitage thread, more a pro Eddy one, but I'm sure some won't see it this way.

Agreed. Eddy,like Clint Jones, doesnt have the blessed talent, BUT they do have intensity and can put real fwd pressure on oppo thats been missing of late.

[Zed]

a whipping boy ?
somone to drop next week ?
a scapegoat ?

.. not sure what he gives us over and above Luke Ball ..

[spert]

I watched the game against Port Melb last week and I am surprised Geary didn't get the nod over Eddy. I think Lyon has had the problem all year, of trying to find the right player for the half forward flank, a flanker who can kick more goals and it's between Eddy, Gwilt and Geary with Ball not really a typical half forward. Eddy is a bit stronger than Geary, but lacks penetrating disposal and is not as mobile, whereas Gwilt has superior skills, but is inconsistent.

[meher baba]

Some coaches rate the sort of players who run all over the ground, try to apply pressure and who don't have fabulous skills with the ball. On Sunday we will have no fewer than six players of this type running around (in reverse order of skills): Eddy, Blake, Dempster, CJ, Baker and McQualter (yes, I know that Mini and Bakes have pretty good disposal, but they are primarily contested ball sort of guys). We also have Dawson, who is not much of a ball user, and Lenny and Gram, whose ball use is inconsistent.

Compared to the Cats, Pies and Dogs, our lineup is somewhat bereft of ball skills. A bit like (and I always get howled down for making this comparison, but it's the correct one) the Swans a la 2005-06.

Will it work as well as it did for the Swans in those years? I don't know: we'll be lucky if we come up against a team that squanders it's chances as much as the Eagles did. Geelong could certainly be that team, but the Pies and Dogs worry me.

[joffaboy]

Compared to the Cats, Pies and Dogs, our lineup is somewhat bereft of ball skills. A bit like (and I always get howled down for making this comparison, but it's the correct one) the Swans a la 2005-06.

Will it work as well as it did for the Swans in those years? I don't know: we'll be lucky if we come up against a team that squanders it's chances as much as the Eagles did. Geelong could certainly be that team, but the Pies and Dogs worry me.

So we are back on to the "lyon has turned us into Sydney" rant have we?

Do you EVER get to a game? Do you understand that our gameplan is nothing like Sydneys of the mid decade?

Still pining and critisising the current coach with the barbs.

You are right you did get howled down - because you have form of constant critisism of theis coach and you purile pathetic comparisions that have been proven conclusively to be WRONG.

Go hug your GT doll.

[SainterK]

19-2, goodness our ball skills must be awful

[Finna]

Meher Baba wrote:

Compared to the Cats, Pies and Dogs, our lineup is somewhat bereft of ball skills. A bit like (and I always get howled down for making this comparison, but it's the correct one) the Swans a la 2005-06.

The dogs to didn't look to flash with their ball skills when faced with our relentless pressure....Nor did the pies from memory.

If we can recapture our earlier form I cant see it being any different next time.

We have proved 19 games of 21 that our players combined with the game plan and the selections of the coaching panel is superior to our opposition.

No doubt the foot has come off the pedal in the last two weeks but mark my words come finals time we will be hot again.

[meher baba]

So we are back on to the "lyon has turned us into Sydney" rant have we?

Do you EVER get to a game? Do you understand that our gameplan is nothing like Sydneys of the mid decade?

I never said I didn't like the game plan. It's the lineup I'm a bit worried about.

And I was at the game vs the Hawks and I saw a game plan which was an evolved form of the mid-decade Swans with a bit of the old GT style, the Hawks and the Cats thrown in. For you to claim that it is "nothing like" the old Swans style suggests it is you, not I, who knows nothing about football.

Squeezing opponents for space was a big part of the Swans approach as (presumably) partly developed by Lyon when he was there. It is a great strategy which I fully support. But, ideally, the players who do the squeezing should also be able to inflict damage with ball in hand. IMO, Eddy and Dempster can't do this and CJ, Blake and others are only so-so.

It leaves a lot for others to do and that's my worry.

[saintsRrising]

a bit of the old GT style, .

The old GT style...you mean the playing loose and wide rubbish that we have seen the last two weeks???

Give me the Lyon style anytime.

[BallBanger]

Contested possessions, strong tackling, forward pressure and both offensive and defensive spread. If you watch his games this year, in particular against Port and the Hawks you'll see he does some really important things that Ross wants. And I'm sure he's in because while he does all of the above things well, our higher draft picks don't.

By the way, this isn't so much an anti Luke Ball or David Armitage thread, more a pro Eddy one, but I'm sure some won't see it this way.

Agreed. Eddy,like Clint Jones, doesnt have the blessed talent, BUT they do have intensity and can put real fwd pressure on oppo thats been missing of late.

Eddy is not like Jones other than average kick (although even jones hits the spot more)..
Jones goes and extracts the ball to his team mates, covers the ground quickly and is 1st 3rs and 5th link in the chain..
Eddy is slow dives on the ball to hold in and gets left behind quickly by the opposition

[StPeter]

I agree there is no comparison between Eddy and Jones.

Jones knows how to find the ball, provides dash, is a great stopper and his

finishing skills continue to improve. Eddy has shown nothing!

[bobmurray]

So ,after reading this thread,i get the impression most posters rate Eddy as a list clogger.....

[kp83]

I agree there is no comparison between Eddy and Jones.

Jones knows how to find the ball, provides dash, is a great stopper and his

finishing skills continue to improve. Eddy has shown nothing!

Why are you comparing these 2? I didn't mention CJ at all.